Training for field trainers ahead of Census 2027 commenced in Chennai on Monday, with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) conducting the first phase of a three-day programme from June 15 to 17 at five training centres.

According to a press release, 171 field trainers are participating in the first phase. The second phase of training will be held from June 18 to 20 at three centres.

The Census 2027 will be conducted in two stages and will, for the first time, make use of digital technology through an online platform. Self-enumeration by residents is scheduled from July 17 to 31, while the house-listing and housing census will be carried out from August 1 to 31.

The Corporation appointed 256 officials, including junior engineers, assistant engineers, health officers, health inspectors, tax assessors and licence inspectors, as field trainers for the census exercise. Officials from the Directorate of Census Operations and the Department of Statistics have been designated as master trainers.

The trained field trainers will subsequently conduct training programmes for around 11,000 enumerators and 1,800 supervisors who will be engaged in the census and housing enumeration activities across the city.

Officials from the Statistics Department and Census administration participated in the inaugural training sessions, the release said.